''Forced Vengeance'' is a 1982 American action film, starring

Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championsh ...

Mary Louise Weller Mary Louise Weller (born September 1, 1946) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Mandy Pepperidge in the popular 1978 film ''Animal House''. She has also guest-starred in such television series as '' Starsky & Hutch ...

and Camila Griggs. The film was directed by

James Fargo James Fargo (born August 14, 1938) is an American film director. He directed numerous films from 1976 to 1998. After serving as assistant director to Steven Spielberg on Duel and on many films starring Clint Eastwood, he was then given the chanc ...

, written by Franklin Thompson and

and filmed in the Crown Colony of Hong Kong and

Portuguese Macau Portuguese Macau (officially the Province of Macau until 1976, and then the Autonomous Region of Macau from 1976 to 1999) was a Portuguese colony that existed from the first official Portuguese settlement in 1557 to the end of colonial ru ...

Plot

When the owner and proprietor of the Lucky Dragon casino in Hong Kong refuses to let mobsters take over his business he and his family are hit. Dragon's chief of security, Josh Randall (

) goes looking for the head of the syndicate to exact revenge for the murder of his employer, friend and mentor.

Cast

Production

The film was originally known as ''The Jade Jungle''. It had Norris' biggest budget yet, costing $5 million, and was from a major studio, MGM. The title was changed during production to ''Forced Vengeance''.

Reception

Critical response

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote, "In the unlikely event that a film historian stumbles across 'Forced Vengeance' 20 years from now, he would probably guess that it was made somewhere around 1974—75. In setting, plotting, themes and action motifs, latest Chuck Norris pic is incredibly reminiscent of those unlamented Yank-vs.-Hong Kong syndicate martial arties of that era. For Norris, who has given signs of trying to graduate from the genre, this is a step backwards, or at least is treading water." Kevin Thomas of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' wrote that by the middle of the film, "bone-crunching, flesh-ripping violence so dominates the screen that the film simply starts drowning in a sea of blood. By the end, it's hard to care, let alone differentiate, between the good guys and the bad. Such wretched excess is especially lamentable because 'Forced Vengeance' starts off with a lot going for it: a serviceable, if familiar story (by Franklin Thompson), some likable people to root for, unfailingly photogenic and atmospheric Hong Kong locales (well photographed by Rexford Metz) and crisp direction by James Fargo, a Clint Eastwood alumnus." Richard Harrington of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' called the film "one of Norris' less sterling efforts, a scratchy mono to the stereo of such earlier efforts as '

Return of the Dragon ''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee' ...

' and '

Force of One ''A Force of One'' is a 1979 American action martial arts film starring Chuck Norris, Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager and Bill Wallace. The film was directed by Paul Aaron and written by Pat E. Johnson and Ernest Tidyman and relea ...

.' Part of the problem is a script that seems better suited to '60s television ... Another part of the problem is Norris' monotonous acting." Jimmy Summers of ''

BoxOffice ''Boxoffice Pro'' is a film industry magazine dedicated to the movie theatre business published by BoxOffice Media LP. History It started in 1920 as ''The Reel Journal'', taking the name ''Boxoffice'' in 1931 and still publishes today, with ...

'' wrote, "Maybe pairing Chuck Norris with MGM was just more than the karate star could handle. Instead of being one of his classiest movies, 'Forced Vengeance' is one of his worst ... The presence of MGM veterans

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series centers on the ...

is the sole indication that this is an MGM movie. Otherwise it has the out-of-focused, grainy look of a chop-socky epic from China."Summers, Jimmy (October 1982). "Forced Vengeance". ''

''. 54.

References

External links

* * * {{James Fargo 1982 films 1980s action films American action films American films about revenge American martial arts films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1982 martial arts films Films directed by James Fargo Films set in Hong Kong Films shot in Hong Kong Films shot in Macau 1980s American films